Permitting Process in Finland

Nord Stream 2 needs two permits to lay pipelines within the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): The Government Consent for the use of the Finnish EEZ, and the permit for pipeline construction and operation. The applications were submitted after completion of the national Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure.

The assessment of potential environmental impacts of the pipeline is an important precondition in the permitting processes in each country. In Finland, this procedure started as early as 2013 with the first EIA phase. The second phase of the EIA ended in 2017 with the submission of a comprehensive EIA report. This documentation was made available to the public for two months, giving stakeholders the opportunity to provide comments.

After the EIA procedure ended, Nord Stream 2 AG submitted two permit applications to permitting authorities in September 2017.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment handled the process for the Government Consent for the use of the Finnish EEZ. The Consent was granted on April 5, 2018.

The Regional State Administrative Agency Southern Finland handled the permit for pipeline construction and operation according to the Water Act. The water permit was granted on April 12, 2018, completing the permitting procedure in Finland.

You’ll find more information on the permitting process for the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline in Finland here.